The Secretary-General of the Election Commission explained that the outcome of the local administrative election in special areas on 11 Jan 2026 will be the key indicator for whether parliamentary elections can be held in provinces still experiencing conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.
On 20 December 2025, Mr. Saweang Bunmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission (EC), posted on his personal Facebook page about conducting elections in provinces still affected by the Thailand-Cambodia conflict. He stated that if elections must proceed under abnormal circumstances in certain areas, the EC follows specific working principles to hold elections simultaneously nationwide as mandated by the constitution, unless a new election date is specified under Section 104. These principles are based on five key points.
1. Legal principle means the law authorizes the actions, such as advance voting (bringing voters to polling stations).
2. Simultaneity principle means elections are held simultaneously across all provinces on the same day nationwide.
3. Fairness and integrity principle means the election process must be honest and impartial, not favoring any political party, ensuring fairness and equality.
4. Facilitation and safety principle means providing convenience for voters to cast their ballots according to the simultaneity principle (point 2) and fairness principle (point 3), with the utmost priority on voters’ safety or their feeling of safety.
5. Participation principle means listening to the views of stakeholders, such as eligible voters in the area or political parties fielding candidates.
“On 11 January 2026, when the local administrative elections take place, we will see whether special areas can conduct these elections. This will likely provide a clear indication regarding the parliamentary elections on 8 February 2026. By then, we might be able to hold elections as usual. Let’s keep watching the situation.”